Contentment

Contentment

The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.

Zephaniah 3:17, NIV

He will quiet you with his love.

In a matter of minutes, a mother can sometimes take her baby from screaming and hungry to quiet with a full tummy. God has taken me from kicking and screaming to quiet with a content heart on many occasions as well. A verse from the Psalms that I return to again and again is, “Lord, when doubts fill my mind, when my heart is in turmoil, quiet me and give me renewed hope and cheer” (Psalm 94:19, TLB). He is the one we should run to when our hearts need quieting.

He will rejoice over you with singing.

I was extremely fond of singing to my children when they were little. In fact, I began singing to them when they were still in my womb. When I couldn’t sleep at times during my pregnancies, I figured it was God’s way of preparing me for middle-of-the-night feedings. So I put the time to good use and learned lots of Bible and nursery-rhyme songs. I sang those songs to my children for many years, and if God wills, I will enjoy singing those same songs to grandchildren someday.

I like that this verse describes God as singing over me—not with me or to me, but over me. It reminds me of times when my baby was tired and oh-so-fussy. I would lay him down in the crib, gently rub or pat his back or shoulder, and continue singing for as long as it took him to fall asleep. Next time you’re struggling to find contentment, revisit this verse and remember that God wants to rejoice over you with singing!

Father,

To think that the awesome God of the universe would take time to sing over me floods me with gratitude and contentment! Thank you that you desire a tender relationship with each of us. In Jesus’ name, amen.